A first glimpse of the new incarnation of Rambo has been revealed. The Hollywood franchise started in 1982 with the introduction of Sylvester Stallone's rogue warrior in First Blood, but after being one of the biggest names of the 1980s we haven't seen him on the big screen since 2008's Rambo. There have been many attempts to film another entry in the violent saga, including reboots and a recasting of the iconic soldier, but as Stallone's announced his retirement from the character there's been no major developments so far. However, that's all about to change...

In a surprising turn of events, Original Entertainment closed a five-picture deal with Millennium Films in 2013 for Bollywood remakes of Rambo, The Expendables, 16 Blocks, 88 Minutes, and Brooklyn’s Finest. As announced at the Cannes Film Festival, Siddharth Anand is directing and teaming up with Indian actor and martial arts expert Tiger Shroff in the title role, with the project scheduled to begin shooting in February 2018.

The announcement has also come with the reveal of the film's official poster (care of IndieWire) which can be seen below. The official synopsis for the film has also been unveiled:

The action film will follow the last surviving member of an elite covert unit of the Indian Armed forces who returns home to discover a war waging in his own land. Forced into the dangerous jungles and frozen mountains of the Himalayas, he unleashes mayhem and destruction, becoming the unstoppable machine he was trained to be.

Rambo Indian Remake Poster Tiger Shroff

Probably the most eye-catching change there is the mention of the "Himalayas", which at least will introduce the character to a new and dangerous environment, rather than the usual humid jungle conditions that we all picture him in. And of course his membership of Indian Armed forces will presumably make a marked difference to Stallone's Vietnam PTSD portrayal. As for the man himself, Shroff seems to be owning the Stallone glower and physique, whilst toting the expected massive weaponry.

This sort of remake has been financially successful before, with producer Anand's most recent film Bang Bang being an Indian remake of the 2010 action-comedy Knight and DayBang Bang grossed more than $55 million worldwide, easily making a profit. Whilst the remake has been gaining traction and casting details were being confirmed, Stallone openly supported the project with comments on social media.

The Indian version may not be the only remake on the horizon. An American reboot entitled Rambo: New Blood was mooted last year with plans to recast the role and while there's been no further word, it seems likely we'll hear something in the near future.

Rambo is due to start shooting in February 2018 and be released later that year.

Next: 12 Facts You Didn’t Know About Rambo

Source: IndieWire